Sister of the Bride
by ttamagotchii
Summary: AU: Who exactly is Derrick Harrington? Well, he's the guy who I hated throughout my entire high school years. He's also the guy who my sister, Massie Block, is getting married to. And he happens to be the guy who I'm falling for.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Oh, It's You…Again**

"Always forgive your enemies, but never forget their names." -John F. Kennedy

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><p>"It's not over…it's just the beginning of everything."<p>

The crowd cheered as Derrick Harrington finished his valedictorian speech with a broad fake grin and the cheesiest line.

Or so Kristen Block thought.

She was standing up, smiling brightly at Derrick, clapping along her classmates and family. In her mind, though, she was insulting him with words she had never uttered before.

_Thief,_ Kristen thought as she tried to keep a smile plastered on her pretty face. The valedictorian spot was supposed to be hers (and so was the scholarship to England that Derrick had snatched away, too)…she had been working on it _for years_. She studied and studied every single night just so she could be in the top of her class. No breaks, no fun…just study.

And it had all gone just as planned, until two years ago when Derrick decided to upgrade from a C student to an A+ student. Ever since then, they had kept insulting and trying to beat each other. Sadly for Kristen, Derrick always won. It didn't matter how much effort she put into her reports, how late she stayed up studying, _he_ always won. _Her_ family always talked about _him_ in dinner time. He was the king of _everything_. Everybody loved him; teachers, parents, students…and everybody seemed to forget about Kristen, the girl who was part of every club just to earn credit for the scholarship, who always ran for vice-president and tried to make the fundraisers as amazing as possible, who always tried to be nice and helpful (except toward Derrick) -the girl who always tried her best but always ended up second, no matter how much she tried.

Derrick and Kristen had supposedly fixed their problems two days ago by being each other's date for prom. He had told her he wanted to put an end to any hard feelings in between them now that they were graduating. Kristen wouldn't have accepted if he hadn't asked her out in front of everybody at school.

But Kristen knew better. Derrick had always laughed at her when it was possible, hurt her emotionally every time he could…and let's not forget how he ruined her relationship with Dempsey Solomon, his best friend and her first and only boyfriend, by telling him who-knows-what about her. So why did he all of a sudden decide to be her friend? He was probably laughing at her mentally right in that instant.

It was her turn to hug Derrick. She gave him a bright (a.k.a. fake) smile before accepting his tight embrace. Her parents were watching, and she would never hear the end of it if she graduated insulting Derrick (who they_ simply loved_).

"Good luck, Kristen," he told her with a half smile. "I'm sure that all your efforts will lead to success."

_Because you won't be there,_ she thought. But out loud, she said, "Thanks. Good luck to you, too. Though, you won't need it. You're already amazing."

Derrick grinned and hugged her once again.

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"Kristen!"

"Ms. Gregory!"

"Kristen, over here!"

"Is Josh with you?"

"Is it true that you and Conner Foley broke up?"

"Was Josh the reason?"

"Josh, a picture!"

"Ms. Gregory!"

I woke up with a jump, which startled Josh Hotz (that's right, _the _Josh Hotz. The famous superstar actor). He was sitting across from me in his limousine, and his usual smug expression was replaced by one of confusion. I shrugged it off. After all, not even I knew why I had dreamed of my graduation day.

I turned to look at the window and did the usual when mobbed by the paparazzi: waved, smiled and kept quiet. How had they known I was back in Westchester? How did they find out Josh was here? Did Conner reveal in an interview that we had broken up after a year as boyfriend and girlfriend?

"Don't worry, Kris. I'm sure Isaac can loose them," Josh assured me with a proud smirk. He signaled at his chauffeur, who grinned at Josh from the rearview mirror.

All of a sudden, the car swerved to the right, pressing Josh against me. After a few seconds, I was impulsed forward by the car's sudden acceleration. After two more sharp swerves and speed ups, the car finally came to a screech and began driving peacefully.

"Told you so," Josh bragged, running a hand through his silky dark hair. "Isaac and I have to escape a couple of paparazzi mobs almost every day, too."

Out of breath, I handed him and Isaac a smile before leaning back against the limousine's comfy seat.

You're probably wondering why I, Kristen Block, or Kristen _Gregory_ as I'm now known by the media, am sitting next to the hottest and most famous twenty-five-year-old actor in the world. Well, now that I'm an equally famous actress, he happens to be my best friend.

I know you're surprised. Who would've ever thought that Kristen Block would become a Golden Globe, Emmy and Academy Award-winning actress? Obviously, not me. But five years ago, when I was just nineteen and depressed by the fact that I wasn't attending an Ivy League college, a producer thought I had "the face" to star in his new movie. Which happened to be one of the most successful films of 2007. And that's when my career began, when I was twenty-years-old.

Afterwards, I starred in a couple of other successful films before meeting Josh, who introduced me to his best friend, Conner Foley…who decided to dump me for a Miu Miu model last week.

"Thinking about Conner?" Josh asked with a smirk, which was his only smile. Josh is a total snob. Luckily for his career, his fans only seem to care about his extremely good looks. And I know how they feel. I used to be in love with him back in ninth grade, when he was sixteen and the main character of one of the hottest TV shows from back then.

I rolled my green eyes at how easily he could read me. "No."

Josh snickered. "I know you too well. And I also know _him_ well enough to be sure that soon, he'll be begging for you to take him back."

I bit my lip. "He's with an extremely beautiful model now."

Josh pinched my arm. "You're _way _more beautiful."

I turned to look at him with an amused smile. "Your 'charms' don't work with me. And, besides, I don't want him back. That model whose name I don't even know can have him."

Josh chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "I'm glad that you said that. Besides, I'm sure that there are a ton of guys out there wanting to date you."

I punched him playfully. "Would you stop with the compliments?"

Josh snapped his gum. "You should be thankful that I'm complimenting you, many girls would kill for a compliment from _me_. And besides, it's the truth. I'm all about honesty, you know?"

"That's why you end up insulting everyone you meet," I told him with a grin.

He grinned back and began to laugh as if remembering one of his "greatest" insults. Luckily, the media hasn't found out about them. Though I don't think his fans would care.

I looked down and began to play with the charm bracelet in my wrist, a gift from my big sister and my other best friend, Massie Block, who also happened to be the reason why I was here.

I still couldn't believe she was getting married.

She was just a year older than me, and she was already preparing to walk down the aisle with a white gown on. When I was younger, I always dreamed of this moment. And even though she's twenty-five already, it still feels way too soon. In Christmas Eve, which is in exactly twenty-two days, Massie won't be Ms. Block anymore, she will be a Mrs. Something -my family still hasn't told me who's going to be her brother-in-law. Which is killing me, since I _hate_ surprises.

Last week, my dad called me out of the blue. I thought something bad had happened since my mom was crying like crazy in the background. Well, that was until my dad told me that I was going to be Massie's bridesmaid.

The car halted to a stop and all of a sudden, I felt nervous. Josh put on his sunglasses and zipped up his leather jacket, which won't protect him from Westchester's extremely cold weather in December. Isaac opened the door for us, and soon, we were making our way up to my family's doorstep.

"It's a nice house you grew up in," Josh told me, as he stared up at my two-storied (plus the attic) yellow Victorian-styled house.

I sighed as I examined it, too.

It had been years since I've paid a visit to my hometown. It was my family who usually came down to Los Angeles to visit me and my aunt/manager. I guess that's the reason why each step I took brought back so many memories -mainly about Massie. Like the time she taught me how to jump the rope, or how she always braided my hair before I went to sleep and called me Rapunzel. Or when Massie stayed up all night helping me with my costume for the seventh-grade's play.

Before the door opened to reveal my parents, I was already feeling nostalgic.

"Kristen!" my mother exclaimed, hugging me as tight as ever. She began to inspect me. "Oh my God…I can't believe how fast you and Massie grew up."

And just like that, my mom began to sob.

Dad gently pushed her away and embraced me. "Ever since Massie told us she was engaged, she's been crying like crazy."

But my mom's tears disappeared once she spotted Josh.

"Oh, my! I'm so glad to meet you, Josh. Is it okay if I call you that?" she asked him, shaking his hand.

Only Massie had met Josh, and my parents were more than excited when they found out Josh was invited to the wedding. Massie had taken a liking in his attitude. She considered him "witty". And the fact that Josh's mom, one of the most famous wedding planners around Hollywood, had volunteered to plan Massie's wedding for free got my parents even more excited to meet him.

Josh took off his sunglasses and grinned. "Josh's fine. And it's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs. Block."

"Oh, please call me Marsha."

As Josh was introduced to my dad, my mom went on to tell a lively story of how in love Massie and I were with Josh back in our freshmen and sophomore years.

Josh's eyes were sparkling with held back laughter as he looked at me. "Oh really? I didn't know you were a fan of mine, Kris."

"I was just a kid. And, besides, I didn't know what a fool you were," I defended myself. Josh smirked.

"Come in," my dad told us with a huge smile.

Before my mom could close the door behind us, I heard my sister's shouts of glee.

"KRISTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN! OH MY GOD! KRISTEEEN!"

A squealing Massie came running down the stairs. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement and her toned arms were wide open. Once she was in front of me, she jumped into a bear hug.

"I'm so happy you're here!"

I hugged her back with a smile.

A stranger would never guess we were sisters. We are absolutely different -Massie has shoulder-length brown hair, and I have golden-blonde hair that reaches the middle of my back. Massie's eyes are amber and mine are emerald green. Massie is dimple-free, and my dimples appear even when I sleep. The only thing we have in common is our freckled nose and bow-shaped lips. However, my mom insists that we are exactly the same.

She pulled away and gave the same greeting to Josh.

Since I was across from Massie, I wasn't aware of the reason why her eyes went wide and a broad grin appeared in her face. Until I turned around.

In front of me, a handsome man was smiling at us. He seemed familiar, but I didn't know from where. Maybe it was the fact that he sorta looked like my ex. With his hazel eyes, golden blonde hair and crooked grin, he was really similar to Conner.

Massie walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Kristen, Josh…this is my future husband."

I smiled and waved at him. "Hi."

My mom placed her arm around my shoulder. "Kris…remember Derrick?"

_Derrick._

My eyes widened and I resisted the urge to open my mouth in shock.

_Derrick. Derrick._

His name repeated in my mind. And even though a smile was still plastered in my face, I was as stunned as it could get.

_Derrick Harrington._

All of a sudden, I remembered my shock back in eleventh grade when I found out my grades weren't the highest ones in class. The time when we first insulted each other. The night when I stayed up late writing my report on Marie Antoinette's life just to be once again beaten out by Derrick. All of my moments with him flashed in my mind; when Dempsey broke up with me just after I've heard them talk about me, when my parents first met Derrick and ever since compared me to him, when he taunted me because I didn't win the valedictorian spot, when he came to pick me up for prom…

And even though my hatred for him began to bubble inside me, I just grinned as if I was extremely happy.

"Of course I do!" I exclaimed. "How could I forget my competition back from high school!" I giggled.

"And your prom date," Massie added with a smile.

"Of course," I replied. I turned to look at him. "How did England treat you?"

Don't get me wrong: I'm extremely happy with my acting career. But every time someone mentions England, I always remember the fact that I studied for four years just because of that one scholarship…that Derrick just snagged away from me. And even though I should be thanking him for my acting career (if it wasn't for him, the director would've never found me), I'm not. I even studied all of the English slangs and learned how to speak in every different accent just to be a good English citizen!

"Oh, he's an earth scientist now," my mom told me.

I wanted to be an earth scientist before finding out that the scholarship wasn't mine.

"Mom, let him talk!" Massie exclaimed.

Derrick's grin widened. "Beautifully. I could finally tour all around Europe like I had always wanted. And I really enjoyed getting to walk around London. It all seemed like a scene from a book."

I nodded. "I know what you mean. I thought the exact same thing when I first arrived there."

"Oh, come on guys, you haven't seen each other in years! HUG!" Massie ordered us.

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me. This was just like graduation day.

When he pulled away, my parents began to introduce him to Josh.

But all I could think about was the fact that the guy I hated was about to become my brother-in-law.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hoped you liked the first chapter! I'm a new writer, by the way, so please understand why this story might have mistakes. However, they do say practice makes perfect -and constructive criticism helps even more ;) I also wanted to say that this is loosely inspired by the awesome movie "You Again" and the title is the same as one of Beverly Cleary's books.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Pool Parties On Snowy Days Bring Problems Along**

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."-William Blake

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><p>"Okay, class…listen up!"<p>

Everybody turned their attention to the P.E. coach, who was wearing tropical patterned swimming trousers with a white towel on his shoulders. "Boys, I know that girls in swimsuits might cause a few distractions-" Giggles and chuckles. "-but please, try to focus your attention on today's lesson. It took me a lot of persuasion for the principal to finally allow me to teach you some swimming techniques."

Everybody began cheering and clapping, including Kristen, who prided herself for being a fast swimmer.

"Dempsey's staring at you again," Claire Lyons, her best friend, whispered.

She didn't even bother looking. "Doesn't matter. He dumped me a week ago because of what your crush told him, remember?"

Claire bit her lower lip as Kristen shook her head.

She still didn't understand how Claire could like such an idiot like Derrick. Claire was supposed to be her best friend (since fourth grade), so how could she like the enemy? Sadly, Claire thought that Derrick's hazel eyes were, and I quote, "so warm and so nice" and his smile was "so bright…brighter than sunshine". Kristen shook her head. Claire obviously was too head over heels for that jerk to even use her brains. Who would say such cheesy lines?

"Okay, guys, lines of six students per lane. No more, no less. If any of you dives into the pool before you hear the sound of my whistle, then you're heading straight over to the principal's office and staying late at school doing laps. Understood?" the coach asked in a stern voice.

"Yes," Kristen answered alongside the whole class.

Kristen and Claire began walking toward the pool, when Alicia Rivera, the gossip queen of the tenth grade, approached them. She smiled before asking, "Anyone knows why Dylan Marvil isn't here?"

Kristen and Claire glanced at each other.

Dylan was known for three things: her fiery red hair, her mother (the principal) and the fact that she was overweight.

"No…why?" Kristen shrugged.

"I actually thought you knew, since you're kinda friends."

Kristen shook her head.

"She's probably scared that people will laugh at her when they see her in a swimsuit," Claire reasoned, a pitying look in her face.

Alicia and Claire talked, Kristen's gaze wandered over where Dempsey was. She couldn't help but smile when she saw him laugh at something Derrick the Loser had said. In seventh grade, they had gotten the lead roles of the school's play; Kristen was Pandora and Dempsey was Prometheus. Ever since then, she'd had a huge crush on him. Kristen never knew that Dempsey also liked her, until the beginning of last summer vacation, when he asked her to be his date to Olivia Ryan's famous end-of-the-year party. Flash forward to now, four months later, she's still trying hard not to cry over the fact the he dumped her.

His gaze met hers, and she quickly looked away. Luckily for her, she was still mad at him so she didn't blush. Kristen grabbed her things and quickly began making her way to the farthest lane.

How could Dempsey believe whatever lies Derrick had told him about her? She knew they were best friends, but still, Kristen was sure Dempsey knew about her's and Derrick's "relationship".

All of a sudden, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hey."

It was Dempsey.

She turned around. Claire, Alicia and Derrick were looking at them with an expectant, or in Derrick's case, unreadable look on their faces. Alicia gave Kristen a "good luck" smile before walking away.

"What do you want?" Kristen asked, glaring at Derrick from Dempsey's shoulder.

Dempsey looke down. After a while, he looked up at her again. "I wanted to apologize." When Kristen remained silent, he continued. "I'm sorry for dumping you last week…it's just, I-" He sighed, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. "I don't know how to say this, but-"

"You just want to be friends, now?" Kristen asked, hiding the disappointment she felt.

Dempsey began to shake his head, but before he could say anything, Kristen felt a pair of strong hands pushing her. Before she knew it, she had fallen into the pool with a loud splash. After a few seconds, she emerged from the water just to find Derrick laughing at her while Dempsey glared at him. She still had her flip-flops on, so she grabbed one and threw it at his face. After it whacked his cheek, he stopped laughing. Or maybe it was because the coach was approaching them with an extremely angry look on his face.

Claire quickly made her way toward Kristen and helped her out of the pool. Once she was out, the coach was scrutinizing them with his scary pale blue eyes.

Before he could say anything, Kristen pointed a finger at Derrick. "He pushed me!"

The coach glanced at Derrick and then at Dempsey. "Dempsey, is that true?"

Dempsey was about to answer when the coach cut him off. "You know what? You like Kristen and you are Derrick's best friend. I don't think I'll get an honest answer from you." He turned to look at Claire. "Who's telling the truth?"

"But she's the wicked witch's _best friend_!" Derrick coach gave him a stern glance.

"She never lies."

Kristen crossed her arms triumphantly as she looked at Derrick. He was finally going to pay for good. Not just for throwing her into the pool, but for everything he-

"Derrick didn't push her."

Kristen gasped as she stared at Claire, her supposed best friend, lie to the coach.

She began to protest. "That's not-"

"Ms. Gregory, you know what to do."

Before leaving (and glaring at Derrick), she gave Claire a shocked and disappointed look. Claire mouthed an apology, but Kristen ignored her. _Looks like I'm gonna have to look for another best friend, _Kristen thought.

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The pool was extremely cold.

It didn't matter that I was in my parents' indoor pool (a Christmas gift from me) or that this place had an overpriced and really modern heater (another gift from me). All I could think about was how Massie's mind worked (who would ever make a pool party in the middle of December?) and how cold I was. I inhaled loudly once my head reached the surface. I could hear a lot of sounds: my family talking, my little cousins laughing and splashing each other…but the sound that stuck out the most was Josh's hysterical laughter.

"Ha ha…funny," I muttered sarcastically as I swam toward him.

"Y-your face…it-it was P-PRICELESS!" Josh replied in between laughter.

Though I rolled my eyes, I couldn't help but smile. Josh had left behind his snobby attitude, and instead, began to act like a sneaky and spoiled five-year-old. If you don't believe me, I'll begin by enlightening you about last night's dinner. Well, for starters, he decided to spice up my Coke…which I nearly spit out on my future brother-in-law (not that I would've cared). Then, he decided to dump a glass of water on my extremely ancient cat, Fluffy. And after pulling a series of pranks on Fluffy and I, he still had the nerve to order me to unpack his stuff. My parents loved every single bit of his immature attitude, and decided to agree with everything he said, so I ended up organizing stacks and stacks of clothes (he brought four large suitcases).

_SPLASH!_

I turned around, just to find Josh's head emerging from the water. I grinned as I glanced back and found Massie, who was now standing where Josh had been.

"You'll thank me later," Massie told me, sitting down and letting her feet dangle in the water.

Big mistake.

As soon as she did that, Josh swam toward her and pulled her feet toward him.

"NO!" Massie shrieked, before falling into the water. As Massie swam next to me, Josh resumed to his hysterical laughter.

Massie smiled at me. "He isn't such a snob anymore, huh?"

I tilted my head as I looked at him playing with some of my little cousins and neighbors. "Nope."

"They say love softens the heart."

My smile vanished instantly and I felt the blood rise up to my cheeks. I placed my hands on top of Massie's head and pushed her down into the water.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Massie exclaimed, trying to escape my grasp.

"YOU AND YOUR ASSUMPTIONS!" I exclaimed, my face still red.

Someone squirted water in my face, letting Massie slip away.

"You let the lady swim in peace," a red-headed little boy told me.

I burst out laughing as I help up my hands. "I will."

The boy nodded solemnly and walked away to the lemonade stand. I smiled and turned to look at Massie, who was now sitting on the pool's edge. I swam toward her and asked, "Where's Derrington?"

Massie glared at me playfully. "You are not enemies anymore, so don't call him that."

If only she knew.

"He's picking up some of his friends," Massie answered.

I nodded. "Alright, stay here all bored. I'll go for a swim."

I flopped on my back and began to float around as I stared up at the transparent and round roof. It was snowing, and a few mounds of snow had piled up in the edges. I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I'd actually had fun for the first time in what seemed like ages. Don't get me wrong, attending premieres and making movies _is _fun…but after a while of having the spotlight on you it's best to just relax and let someone else have it. In this case, that would be Massie. Even though I wasn't too happy with whom she was going to marry, the way she glowed last night made me know she was in love with Derrick, and that was enough.

"Kris, your phone is beeping!" I heard my mom exclaim.

I heaved a sigh and swam away toward the pool's stairs. After climbing out, I thanked grandma, who was holding up my bag.

"I made you and your sister's favorite cookies, superstar," she told me with a smile.

I grinned, already feeling the taste of white macadamia nut cookies in my mouth. "I'll be sure to take a bite after I check my phone."

I walked toward a secluded seat and, after lying down, checked my inbox.

The contents made my stomach churn.

The message contained two attached pictures of famous gossip magazines —each with a picture of Conner and I kissing or hugging. It wasn't the pictures that made me want to throw up, but the headlines; "The truth about Kronner's break-up: did Kristen cheat on Conner with three guys?" and "Kronner break-up: Conner likes to hit his girlfriends". I quickly scrolled down the message. _Dear, people were starting to think that you and Josh left L.A. so you could be admitted into a hospital. Apparently, someone made up a rumor that Conner was beating you. To deny this, he had to tell everyone that you were in Westchester for your sister's wedding. Watch out for the paparazzi! And don't worry, he also denied the rumors that you had cheated on him -Aunt Kendra._

I closed my cell phone, feeling the color drain out from my face. So that's how they found out I was in Westchester…now I'd have to warn my family and Josh that there are paparazzi out there. I seriously felt like crying.

"Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes to find the same red-headed boy from before. I nodded weakly.

"No you aren't," he said, sitting next to me. He seemed really familiar, but I couldn't quite remember why. "I saw you on TV yesterday. People were talking about a breakup with you and Conner Foley."

I sat up and looked at him. "Don't believe the rumors. We broke up because for mutual reasons."

"He dumped you."

I stared blankly at him. After hesitating, I asked, "How do you know?"

"I heard Massie talking about it a few days before you arrived here," he answered.

I nodded. "Are you her friend?"

The boy looked down. "That's what she thinks."

I was about to ask him what was wrong when I heard Derrick's voice. I could see him and a bunch of people getting out of his car. I glared at him and, to my surprise, the boy did too.

"Did you just glare?" we both asked at the same time.

The boy looked down once more. "I hate Derrick…he stole my Massie! She was the love of my life."

I wanted to laugh. I seriously did. But this boy hated Derrick, and I didn't want him to hate me, too.

"Well, guess what? I think I hate him, too," I told him.

"He left you for your sister, didn't he? And you still love him."

"EWW! NO!" I exclaimed, flinching at the thought. "I hate him for the things he did to me in high school."

The boy nodded. "Did he steal something from you, too?"

I nodded. "Two things, actually."

The boy shook his head. "Thief…I'm Todd, by the way."

"Todd," I repeated. Oh my God…"You're Claire Lyons's little brother, aren't you?"

He nodded. "How did you know?"

I gasped silently. Last time I'd seen Claire…well, I hadn't been _too_ nice to her, even though she had tried to apologize for siding with Derrick the time he pushed me into the pool.

The doors to the indoor pool opened, and in came Alicia Rivera. Then came a skinny Dylan Marvil holding Kemp Hurley's (another guy I didn't quite like) hand. Cam Fisher came next, and then Dempsey Solomon. I knew I had to leave, since things hadn't ended up so well with Dempsey and I. Olivia Ryan, a _loyal_ girl who became my best friend after Claire, entered. And then Claire Lyons walked in, with Derrick Harrington laughing by her side.

"Todd, I have to go and check something in the oven, okay?" I told him as I stood up. I gathered up my stuff. "Don't tell your sister about what we talked."

Todd nodded. "I promise."

I smiled at him and left quickly.

There were three reasons why I had locked myself in the attic that day: one, Claire Lyons; two, Dempsey Solomon; three, Alicia was the head editor of OK magazine, and I wasn't in the mood for an interview.

Little did I know that my time in the attic would sort of change my view in some things…

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><p><strong>AN: **Thanks for the reviews, story favorites and alerts from last chapter! I'm so glad people liked it :) I know Massie isn't on this much, but I'll promise that, beginning from the fourth or fifth chapter, she'll have more appearances.

Tell me what you think of this chapter in the reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Bonding Time For The Blondes**

"When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wants a truce." -Sun Tzu

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><p><em>Both valedictorian spot and scholarship to England…gone<em>, Kristen lamented, as she took out three textbooks from her locker. Her mother had told her that maybe she'd get a better opportunity, but how? She was so sure that she'd get the scholarship, that she didn't even apply for any Ivy League colleges. As if they'd accept her now…they were only looking for number ones, after all. Not number twos.

"Blockhead."

Kristen rolled her eyes and tried hard not to grab a book and whack the boy next to her with it.

"Well, well. If it is none other than _Derrington_," Kristen replied, using Derrick's least favorite nickname.

Derrick leaned against the locker next to hers. To Kristen's surprise, he didn't give her an annoyed look or reply with a snarky comment. Instead, he just stood there quietly.

Students had gathered up around them already. After all, no one dared to miss the "comedic duo's" (that's what people called them) arguments. Some people even recorded them.

Kristen slammed her locker shut, balancing the books in her arms. "What do you want?"

Derrick cleared his throat, but remained quiet.

Kristen knew something was up when Dempsey gave Derrick a thumbs up. Kristen knew it was something she wouldn't like when Derrick took out two tickets for the prom and a single rose from behind his back.

Derrick handed the rose to her (which reddened her cheeks). "For you."

Kristen was so shocked that she didn't know what else to do other than take the rose.

Derrick cleared his throat once more and looked into her eyes. "I know we've had our differences in the past. I know you probably still hate me, but…we're graduating. And if it weren't for you, I'd still be attending summer school."

Kristen didn't understand what Derrick meant by his last sentence, but she decided to keep quiet. She was still shocked by the fact that he had _given her a rose._

"I wanted to apologize for everything I did to you. For calling you 'Blockhead', for getting you in trouble when it wasn't your fault…you know, for everything. I just want to graduate knowing that there aren't any hard feelings in between each other anymore."

Kristen and the whole student body was as stunned as it could get.

Derrick exhaled. "Which is why I want you to go to prom with me."

Kristen's green eyes widened in surprise.

"Take it as a…a truce."

She could hear the hallway fill with murmurs of surprise and excitement. She dared to look around, just to see all of the school's female population with smiles on their faces. _Say yes, accept, _they mouthed to her. Kristen still hated everything that was Derrick. She still hated him for the fact that he stole her scholarship and valedictorian spot. She still hated him for interrupting a possible reuniting with Dempsey. She still hated him for getting most of the people on his side of the fights.

But she just couldn't say no. And not just because everyone would hate her if she did, but because (even though it was extremely embarrassing to admit) the rose had sort of softened her heart.

Kristen blushed as she replied, "Sure, I'll be your date to the prom."

Derrick smiled and the whole hallway erupted in cheers, which made Kristen blush even harder.

"Great!" Derrick exclaimed. "I-I'll call you, okay?"

Kristen nodded with a small smile before Derrick walked away.

She thought she didn't hate him that much anymore…until she got home and found her pre-prepared valedictorian speech (which was way better than Derrick's, mind you.)

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I've always loved my room for two reasons: one, when I was in seventh grade, I used to have a crush on my neighbor, Chris Abeley, and I had a perfect view from up here (I still do). And two, the attic has two entrances; one from the hallway, and the other from my bedroom.

I stepped inside with a platter of peanut butter sandwiches that I had stolen from Josh (his dinner) and smiled as I realized that my room was the same as before–the walls were still baby blue, all of my plush bunnies and kittens were still displayed on my bed, my desk was still by my window and Josh's poster was still taped on top of my bed (which I promised myself to later shred into pieces so Josh wouldn't see it).

I opened my closet, and the first thing I saw was my prom dress. I grabbed it and stood in front of my mirror, holding it up against me. It was a floor-length one-shoulder, and it was bold red which I had accessorized with silver jewelry. When my mom first saw me in it, she told me I looked like a film actress (oh, the irony).

"You looked really beautiful that night."

Confused, I turned around. I tried to hide my annoyance once I found out it was Derrick. After quickly stuffing the dress back into my closet, I crossed my arms with a smile. "Thanks."

"I thought you'd lock yourself up in the attic," he told me, inspecting my room. He burst out laughing once he saw Josh's poster on my wall.

I began making my way towards it. "I was about to shred it into pieces." But before I could do so, I realized what he had just said. "How did you know I wanted to hide in the attic?"

Derrick gave me his signature crooked smile.

Did he know that I didn't want to see my old classmates? Did he think I was scared of what they would say? Did-

"Alicia," Derrick answered. "You probably aren't in the mood to answer more questions about the 'kronner' break-up."

I pursed my lips and looked down. "Yup…that's right." Which was partially true.

Derrick spotted the peanut butter sandwiches. "Taking that to the attic?"

I nodded. "I'll snack on this while I look at some old stuff."

"Great, 'cause I love peanut butter." He walked toward the attic's entrance on the roof and pulled the knob down, making a staircase fall down. "Ladies first?"

Oh, great. He's planning on coming with me. Why can't he just leave me alone?

I gave him a fake smile before climbing up the stairs. Once I was up, I automatically walked over to the window and grabbed a random box. Maybe he'd think that I was too busy to have company around and leave. I opened up the box and held up a Greek dress —my Pandora costume. It looked so professional, that you'd never guess Massie made it for me when she was in eighth grade.

"Ah, that was from the sixth grade play, wasn't it?" Derrick told me, sitting down next to me.

I tried hard not to roll my eyes. Was he seriously _that_ clueless? Not bragging here, I'm sure that I'm a good actress, but his dad is a_ psychologist_. He had to inherit some of that knowledge to find out that I _did not_ want him here.

"Seventh grade," I corrected, folding the dress back into the box.

Derrick nodded. "That was the first time I saw you. Did you know that Dempsey began to like you ever since then?"

Why would he think I wanted to remember that? Idiot. I pretended to chuckle at the memory. "Yup, he told me when we got together."

Derrick got out another box and began to examine its contents.

When was he going to leave? I seriously wasn't in the mood to put up with him and his stupid conversations. I bet it was him who purposely brought Alicia_ just _so I would miss the party. From what I remember, they used to hate each other back in high school.

"I know you don't like me."

My eyes widened instantly and my mouth slightly parted.

How in the world did he know that? Seriously, had he read my mind?

After regaining my composure, I chuckled."What? Of course I do."

Derrick looked at me. "You never liked me…not even when we went to prom together."

Oh, great, I'm busted. After an awkward silence, I looked away.

Derrick held up my old soccer ball. "You're a really good actress, but you didn't put much effort on hiding your true feelings at dinner yesterday."

After he said that, I was left in stunned silence. For the first time ever, I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I should apologize, if I should leave or if I should just continue inspecting boxes as if nothing had happened. Luckily for me, Derrick decided to change the subject.

"Oh, so you supported Italy in 2006's World Cup," he said, holding up an Italian soccer jersey.

I shrugged, trying to forget our previous conversation."They were the best of the best. That's why only smart people supported Italy."

Derrick smirked. "Oh really? I was team France."

I snatched the jersey away with a growing smile on my face. Soccer was my favorite thing to talk about. "Obviously, you're _not_ smart."

"Hey, Italy won by cheating," Derrick argued.

I gasped. "You did not just say that."

Derrick nodded, a challenging smile on his face.

And just like that, we began to argue about soccer teams. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I actually _liked_ talking with Derrick. I mean, he wasn't like the other people I knew. He didn't try to agree at everything you said, and he didn't try to argue either…he was just himself (which is something hard to find in Hollywood). Derrick wasn't also the type of guy with whom you could only talk about one subject. That afternoon, we talked about everything; life, college, travels…even food. For the first time ever, I found myself smiling truthfully at Derrick Harrington. And let me tell you, that was a nice feeling. Especially since he wasn't such an immature idiot anymore. In fact, he was really polite and fun to be around.

All of a sudden, the attic door opened, and in came a glaring Josh. "Where's my dinner?"

Derrick and I looked down at the half-empty platter. Oops…

Josh glared at us before snatching the one remaining sandwich. "So the blondes are bonding over_ my _food, huh?" he snarled. He took a bite out of the sandwich and muttered angrily, "By the way, some red-head told me to warn you about a revenge plan, Kris."

I frowned. What in the world was Josh talking about?

Before Josh finished climbing down the attic, his angry look was replaced by a smirk. "Nice poster by the way."

Before I could even open my mouth to protest, Josh had shut the door close.

After a few seconds, Derrick smiled at me. "You didn't tell me we were eating stolen food."

I bit my lower lip and began to giggle. Derrick joined too and after a while, we were both cackling hysterically. It was the first time I had laughed around Derrick, and well…it felt good.

The laughter died down, finally letting me catch my breath.

"I really liked talking with you," he told me, a smile edging in his lips.

I looked down, and after hesitating, replied. "Me too."

We looked at each other for a while before he smirked at me challengingly. "Tell you what, I'll take you out for some hot chocolate tomorrow if you keep pretending to like me."

I leaned back, returning the smirk. "I don't think I have to keep pretending."

He chuckled, making me giggle. After a while, Derrick stood up and helped me up. Still smiling, we both made our way outside.

So I don't entirely like him yet.

But I don't hate him either.

I had almost forgotten about Josh's weird warning of some revenge plan, when a huge pile of snow fell on top of Derrick and I. Well, mostly on me, since Derrick managed to move out of the way just in time.

Everybody gasped as Todd came running toward me. "I'm so sorry Kristen, it wasn't meant to be for you!" he apologized. "I'm so, so sorry! Please don't hate me!"

"Oh my God, TODD! _Why did you do that?_" Claire exclaimed, pulling him away. Todd gave me another apologetic glance before being pulled out of sight by his sister.

So that's what Josh's warning meant.

It was then I realized that all of my old classmates were surrounding us. Most of their expressions were unreadable, except Kemp's (who was trying hard not to laugh) and Dylan's (who, for some reason, looked jealous).

Massie grinned once she saw what all the commotion was about. "Oh, Kris. What did you do now?"

I glared at her before dusting off the snow. Trying to stop myself from shivering, I addressed everybody. "It's alright. I'll just go and take a warm and delicious bubble bath. I feel like a needed one, anyways."

Which was true. Besides the fact that there were paparazzi hunting for me and Josh out in the streets, more rumors about my break-up with Conner were lining up in the web.

"She's covered with snow and she _still_ looks amazing," Dylan muttered angrily. Something told me that she wasn't happy with her body…not even now that she wasn't overweight.

Alicia stepped forward. "Kristen, you know who I am?"

"Alicia Rivera, the head editor of OK Magazine."

"I know there have been some false rumors about you and Conner, so I would like to clear them up. Care for an interview?" Alicia asked.

I shrugged. "Come in."

I was extremely cold, everybody saw me getting pranked on and now I'll have to answer a million of uncomfortable questions while taking a bubble bath. _Great._

"We're still on for the hot chocolate tomorrow!" Derrick exclaimed after me.

Amidst the situation, that brought a smile to myself.

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><p><strong>AN: **Wow, guys, those reviews seriously put a smile on my face :D Thank you SO much. You'll be happy to know that I already planned what's happening on each chapter, so I can now say that there will be more Massie from now on. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them. I might add them to the story…thanks for reading! I hoped you liked this chapter :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: That Darned Mistletoe**

"Love lights more fire than hate extinguishes." -Ella Wilcox

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><p>"I finally met Derrick Harrington," Massie announced, opening the door to Kristen's bedroom.<p>

Kristen shut her book close and turned around, her face a mixture of confusion and frustration. "Huh?"

Massie smiled deviously, slowly walking toward her sisters bed. Once she got near it, she belly-flopped on the soft bedspread. "He's really cute, you know."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Kristen asked, a frown forming in her blond eyebrows.

Massie bit her lips, hugging her knees to her chest. "I especially like the way he smiles. You know, mischievously but innocently at the same time."

Kristen honestly thought her sister had gone insane. As Massie continued to ramble on about Derrick's "cute" features, she couldn't help but think how much she wished that Derrick would fall off a cliff. First, he makes her boyfriend dump her. Then, he turns her ex-best friend to his side. And now he cast a spell on her sister. _I'm so lucky,_ Kristen thought sarcastically as she shook her head.

"And he's really nice, too. He helped mom carry our shopping bags to the car," Massie continued, an unreadable glint in her amber eyes.

"Mass."

"Mom still can't believe you don't like such a nice and _handsome_ boy."

"_Massie._"

"He told me to say hi, by the way. Don't you think that's _so_ conside-"

"MASSIE!"

Massie's eyes widened in surprise as she innocently replied with a, "What?"

Kristen was fuming by now. How dare she "what?" her? Kristen had always made sure to tell Massie how Derrick turned her days from happy to frustrating ones. You know why? To avoid _this_ happening. To avoid her sister falling in love with the darned blonde who always complicated her life. The worst part was, that Massie already had a boyfriend —who was about to be dumped by a worthless soccer goalie.

"Why are you all of a sudden talking like a girl who just fell in love?" Kristen asked, trying hard not to raise her voice.

Massie inspected her recently manicured nails. "What are you talking about?"

Kristen blinked and decided to ignore Massie's obvious attempt to annoy her. _And for a minute I thought she liked him_, Kristen mentally laughed. _As if_. Besides the fact that Massie was one year older than Derrick, she was obviously in love with Landon Crane, her cute college boyfriend.

"Okay, I'll go straight to the point," Massie sighed after sensing Kristen's determination to ignore her taunts.

Kristen nodded, re-reading the same paragraph over and over again, trying to get Massie into thinking she didn't care about what she thought of Derrick. When in reality, millions of questions concerning him were floating in her mind. Massie had once mentioned that Kristen might be in denial about a crush on Derrick (which was ridiculous and disgusting, by the way), and she didn't want Massie to think that.

"Does Derrick always try to outsmart you in class?"

Kristen clutched her book tighter as she nodded, trying to hide the scowl that was threatening to form in her pink lips.

"Does he always come up to you in the hallways for no reason at all?"

"Yup," Kristen murmured.

"He always interrupted you when Dempsey and you were about to go all lovey-dovey with each other, right?"

_And he made him dump me,_ Kristen thought bitterly, giving Massie a curt nod.

"And he-"

"How is this going straight to the point?" Kristen exclaimed, setting her book down.

Massie smiled. "It's settled, then."

"What's settled?" Kristen raised her voice even higher.

Massie leaned closer, a smirk slowly forming on her face. "That Derrick thinks you're the prettiest girl in school. That Derrick wants you all for himself. That Derrick wants to kiss you and hold you tight and-"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU PSYCHO?" Kristen screamed, pressing her hands against her ears. If she heard another of Massie's delusional fantasies, she was going to vomit all over her brand new summer dress.

"I'm saying that Derrick has a crush on you!" Massie held up her arms above her head excitedly, as if she'd just discovered the cure for an incurable disease.

"No he doesn't," Kristen insisted, getting up on her knees. "He made Dempsey dump me, remember? He makes my life a living hell every time I step foot in class! _He turned my best friend against me!_"

"He was jealous about Dempsey having you. And he obviously pushed you to the pool so Dempsey wouldn't reunite with you. And the reason why he always gets higher grades than you? He wants to impress you!" Massie reasoned.

I shook my head violently. "I won't care if I stain that pretty dress of you with puke."

"You won't puke because you're obviously in love with him, too!" Massie exclaimed, happily.

And that's how you get Kristen to tackle you and hit you uncontrollably with pillows.

"I….don't….like….Derrick!" Kristen said in between whacking her sister with her favorite (and hardest) pillow.

"MY HAIR!" Massie shrieked, trying to get Kristen off her.

"_Girls_," they heard their mother call out sternly from downstairs. "If one of you ends up hurt, I'm not rushing to the hospital."

Before locking herself in the bathroom, Kristen gave one final glare at Massie.

"Just admit it, you think he has a really cute smile!" Massie taunted as Kristen shut the door.

"Never," Kristen muttered. She began filling her bathtub with water and soap, trying to get her mind off what Massie had said. Because maybe it was true that Kristen liked Derrick's smile.

Maybe she thought it was "brighter than the sun", as Claire would say.

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"Kris, look at the Christmas tree!" Josh exclaimed, pulling my arm toward the living room like an extremely enthusiastic five-year-old.

"Okay, okay," I chuckled, setting down my hot chocolate mug. "Just don't rip my arm off."

Josh immediately let go of my arm. "Sorry."

I fluffed his already scruffy hair and half-smiled. "It's okay. Now what are you so excited about?"

We reached the living room and my eyes instantly widened. In front of me, stood the most beautiful and shiny Christmas tree I'd ever seen.

"I did it all by myself," Josh told me, a proud smile on his face.

Not taking my eyes off the tree, I breathed in. "No way. You've never decorated a Christmas tree in your entire life."

Josh placed his hand on my back, gently pushing me forward. "I know I usually make my maids do it, but your mom asked me for help…and I just couldn't say no."

I lightly punched his buff shoulder. "I guess that's just one of your other hidden talents."

And just like that, Josh's five-year-old attitude was replaced by his snobby one. "I know, right? Who know how many other talents I have, dying to get out? I should put all of my abilities to test, maybe like that-"

"Nice Christmas tree, Josh," Massie cut in, walking into the living room. She was dressed in PINK sweatpants and shirt, her hair up in a tight pony-tail.

"Working out?" Josh asked, caressing one of the tree's branch. I rolled my eyes good-naturedly at this.

"Oh my God…please don't tell me you forgot," Massie begged, sitting down on the sofa.

"Forgot about what?" we both asked in unison.

Massie's eyes widened. "Guys…today's the dance rehearsal. It starts off at ten a.m., and it's already nine o' clock!"

Josh and I looked down at our pajamas, a troubled look crossing our eyes. I know Massie's always been quite peaceful, but when she gets mad…it's better to migrate to another city. Or to another country, just to be safe.

"Nice pajamas," Josh whispered, checking out my Carebears assemble.

"Yours are way nicer," I countered, pointing at his Spiderman pants.

"Guys, this is not the time to discuss about pajamas! I know you might not be attending the wedding, Josh-"

"What?" I interrupted, gazing at Josh.

Josh shrugged apologetically. "I'm not sure, but I might have a movie project coming up the twentieth. Hopefully, my manager will contact me to tell me it'll start until January."

"He'll explain later," Massie muttered angrily. "GO CHANGE,_ NOW!_"

We both scurried off (I swear, I heard Josh whimper) into our respective bedrooms. Before I opened my door, Josh turned to look at me.

"By the way, I hung a mistletoe in the kitchen's entrance," Josh informed me. His tone became deep and flirty. "I hope we get caught underneath it…_babe_."

He winked before slipping into his room. I began to shake my head, trying hard not to laugh.

After entering my room, I quickly put on the outfit I usually wore when I went to the gym and, after loosely braiding my hair, ran back downstairs.

"Seven minutes...that's a new record for you, Kris," Massie approved, sipping a glass of water. "Unlike your friend."

I sat down next to her. "I bet Josh's still in the process of picking out his underwear. Don't worry, he'll come down in…thirty minutes, or so."

Massie giggled, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. That's when I noticed the beautiful diamond ring in her finger. Guess Derrick has a good taste in jewelry.

"Nice ring," I commented.

Massie's face brightened as she inspected it. "Thanks."

"You know, you never told me how he proposed…or how you met, for that matter," I told her.

Massie grinned, a dreamy look flashing in her eyes. "It's the best first meeting I think I'll ever have. It's quite funny, actually. Remember that daredevil phase I went through a couple of years ago?"

I nodded, and commented sarcastically, "Your best phase yet."

"Shut up," Massie laughed. "Well, I had already tried out every imaginable extreme sport…I had even bungee jumped off a helicopter."

I grimaced, instantly imagining myself in that position. I quickly began feeling dizzy. After thunder, my fear of heights is the greatest of all.

"I had just one thing left on the list. And that was to skydive," Massie continued.

I smiled, knowing what was coming next. Massie had actually mentioned this in one of her visits to L.A. —minus meeting Derrick, of course.

"I was so excited. I thought it was going to be the best experience in my life!"

"Until you stepped foot on the jet."

"Until I stepped foot on that darned aircraft," Massie repeated. "There were like ten other people there, but I didn't care. I began to panic. Everyone was trying to calm me down, telling me everything was going to be alright. But I didn't care, I wanted to step off that thing immediately."

I giggled, imagining one of Massie's panic attacks. She'd already have one before in a roller coaster, and trust me…it wasn't pretty.

"And then I felt this soothing hand in my shoulder," Massie continued, her voice getting softer. "I turned around just to find the most amazing hazel eyes I'd ever seen."

I grinned, letting out a giggle. Don't worry, I'm not planning ways on how to kill Derrick Harrington. We've actually become really close friends (to the point were Josh accused me of replacing him). It'd been a week since we talked in the attic, and every passing day, I looked forward to meet him at coffee shops or his hotel. The downside? Paparazzi were still trying to find me, and I hadn't mustered up the courage to tell anyone about them. So every time I spotted a suspicious person, I had to quickly hide in the nearest place and then explain everything to Derrick (who probably thought I was crazy, especially after accidentally entering a lingerie shop).

"And, well, he somehow managed to calm me down," Massie finished, looking into the distance.

I smiled brightly at her, truly happy for my sister.

"I'm ready!"

We turned to look at Josh climbing down the stairs, looking like a supermodel.

"You're not even gonna dance," I told him, standing up.

"I always try to look my best," came his reply before grabbing our coats and walking outside.

We finally reached the dance studio, where Mrs. Hotz, Derrick, Massie's bridesmaids; Alicia, Claire and Dylan (they'd become friends in yoga class), and Derrick's groomsmen; Dempsey, Cam, Kemp and Chris Plovert, were already waiting.

"Took you long enough," Mrs. Hotz told us once we entered. Mrs. Hotz looked nothing like her son. She was a bit plump, and her shocking blue eyes contrasted perfectly with her golden brown hair. She was wearing her usual button-down shirt and elegant pants, and her traditional playful smile was forming in her lips.

Derrick waved at me, which I gladly returned. I was really happy we were finally friends, and so was Massie by the looks of it. Her face was glowing like New York City at night.

"Alright...listen up, everyone," Mrs. Hotz began. "Here are the pairs for the wedding: Claire, you're with Cam; Alicia, you're with Chris; Dylan, you and your boyfriend will be together-" Insert Dylan's squeal here. "-and Dempsey with Kristen. Josh and I will demonstrate each step." She grinned. "Now…I want everyone to have fun! Remember, try to _feel _the music. Don't learn the steps robotically. We want it to look as natural as possible."

Dempsey materialized next to me, smiling. "Long time no see…well, except in the TV, of course."

I smiled back, trying hard to calm down the butterflies in my stomach. Not that I still liked him (he was dating Olivia, anyways), it's just that I'm going to dance with my _ex-boyfriend_ who dumped me just because of a bunch of lies.

As if on cue, Derrick glanced at me. When he saw me looking, he gave me thumbs up.

"How're you doing?" I asked.

Dempsey nodded. "Fine. I've been really busy, though. Luckily, I managed to make space for the wedding."

The music began playing, and Josh and his mom began to dance expertly. A few hours had gone by, and between conversing with Dempsey and practicing my waltz, I have to say it wasn't so boring. I was actually enjoying myself.

"I have to clear something up." Dempsey cleared his throat, his tone suddenly nervous.

"Go ahead," I replied, trying to keep up with Mrs. Hotz's dancing.

Dempsey tilted his head. "It's about our break-up…you don't mind, do you?"

I admit it, I thought that him bringing up the past was a bit weird. But now that things aren't rocky between me and Derrick, I didn't mind. I shook my head.

"I know you overheard me and Derrick talking before…breaking up with you. And I'm pretty sure you heard the part in which he tried to make me think you were a bad person." He paused. "I didn't believe him, so I proceeded to ask why he was trying to make you look bad."

He sighed shakily, which made me feel as if I was about to be told something that would shatter my life completely.

"I hope he doesn't get mad at me for saying this," Dempsey murmured before looking up at me. "He told me he liked you…a lot. And that he couldn't bear to see his best friend dating his long-time crush. Apparently, he had noticed you ever since seventh grade."

I stared blankly at him, obviously not expecting that.

So Derrick used to like me…

I was honestly at loss of both words and thoughts. What could I say or think after being told that my future brother-in-law used to like me?

"I thought I should clear that up, since he's about to be part of your family and I don't want you to think he's a bad person."

I nodded, mustering up a smile. "It's alright…that does explain a lot."

Dempsey smiled, a relieved look of his face.

Though I continued to dance normally and laugh at Mrs. Hotz's and Josh's goofy attitude (the only thing they had in common), I couldn't help but think about what I had just been told. Dempsey's words kept repeating in my head every time I happened to catch a glimpse of Derrick. For some reason, that confession had shaken me up a bit.

I shifted my gaze toward Derrick. He was leaning down to plant a kiss on my blushing sister's forehead, which made Massie blush even harder and giggle. She placed her chin on his shoulder, to which Derrick responded by rubbing her back tenderly. As he slowly began to sway to the music, he closed his eyes and pulled her closer.

They looked like the perfect couple.

"Okay, guys! That's it for today. We're meeting tomorrow at the same hour, alright?" Mrs. Hotz announced, snapping me out of my thoughts.

As everyone began to file out of the studio, Josh walked up to me. "Did you like my dancing?"

I snorted, shaking my head.

"You didn't?" Josh questioned, feigning shock.

"Of course I did," I giggled. "You're awesome at dancing!"

Josh smirked, running a hand through his silky dark hair. He turned around and began to inspect his reflection, smiling at himself.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Mrs. Hotz smiling at us charmingly. I turned to look at the mirror, checking to see if I had something in my face.

"Don't worry, you're clean," Josh told me. "She's just convinced that we're in love with each other."

Before I could reply, Derrick appeared behind me. "Hey, Kris! Want me to give you a ride?"

I grinned at his reflection before turning around. "Sure."

Josh fake-pouted. "There you go, ignoring me again."

"Yeah…go sulk in the corner," I joked back.

Josh glared at me before droopily walking toward his mom.

"You guys are close friends, huh?" Derrick asked, opening up the door for me.

I zipped my coat. "He practically welcomed me to Hollywood."

"He's like your brother, then?"

I hesitated. Josh was really close to me…but for some reason, I couldn't see him as a brother. I began to slowly shake my head. "Not quite."

Even though the car ride home was filled with laughter and conversation, I still couldn't forget the fact that Derrick had a crush on me. I would've never ever imagined it. Sure, Massie always used to insist that he did, but I always thought that she was just doing it so we could get along. Turns out, she was right.

I was telling Derrick about one of my most embarrassing moments while shooting a movie when we got back home.

"Come in. Massie made her legendary hot chocolate today, and I'm pretty sure there's some left over in the kitchen," I invited him.

As we made our way up to the doorway, Derrick turned to look at me. "Dempsey told you, didn't he?"

How the heck did he know? I swear, he reads minds or something. I opened the door, deciding to play dumb. "Tell me what?"

Derrick cocked an eyebrow. "About my former crush on you."

I bit my lower lip, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"It's okay, it doesn't bother me," he continued.

I nodded. "It really surprised me."

Derrick shrugged. "I know it did; you should've seen Dempsey's face after I told him that…I have to thank you, though."

I glanced at him. "For what?"

"I didn't know how to talk to you, and I thought that by becoming a good student like you, we'd have something in common. So I began to put effort into my studies…" he explained. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gone to England."

I stopped once we reached the kitchen's entrance. "And I wouldn't have hated you."

Derrick chuckled, turning to face me. "And maybe I would've had a chance with you…I was pretty disappointed the first time we insulted each other. I really liked you, you know? It's-"

And then he stopped mid-sentence as he looked up, his eyes slightly widened.

I looked up, and as my eyes settled on the mistletoe hanging on top of us, I wanted to torture Josh more than anything else in the world.

I looked at him sheepishly. "We don't-"

In that moment, though, his soft lips met mine.

It felt like the perfect movie scene that a director would kill for.

I quickly closed my eyes, finding myself kissing back. I just couldn't help it. He cupped my face in his large hands as I wrapped my hands around his neck. I even began to enjoy the kiss. As he began to caress my cheek, I felt as if him and I were the only ones in the room...

When Massie's smiling face flashed in my mind.

I quickly pulled away, but he held me firmly as he said, "I think I still like you."

My eyes widened. What had he just said?

I pushed him away and I did the first thing that came into my mind —run away and lock myself in the attic.

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><p><strong>AN:** Wow...I think that this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Hopefully, you liked it :) By the way, I apologize beforehand for any mistakes, but I'm writing this at one in the morning. I know what you're probably thinking: _go to sleep and write this at another time!_ Ha, I wish…lately, I've been suffering of insomnia :/ Massington fans: I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you in the next chapter...

Thank you so much for reading, tell me what you thought about this chapter in your reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Too Much Love In The Air**

"Love is a lot like a backache; it doesn't show up in x-rays, but you know it's there." –Gracie Allen

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><p>"I don't like him. I like him. I don't like him. I…like him," I sighed, letting the now petal-less fake flower fall to the floor. After staring at it, I stood up and began to jump on it furiously. "I don't like Derrick! I do not, and I never will...understand?"<p>

After a few more jumps, I plopped down on my window's seat, a disappointed look on my face. "I don't like Derrick…"

_You just liked the way he kissed you,_ a voice in my head said. I smacked my forehead. "Of course not!"

_Remember what he said?_ the voice continued. _I think I still like you._

I buried my face in my hands, shaking my head.

_I think I still like you._

I began to slap my head, trying to keep out Derrick's confession. Why did he have to say that? He's about to get married to my _sister_, for goodness sake!

I looked out the window, sighing dejectedly. This last week I had dedicated it to avoiding Derrick, feeling guilty every time I talked to Massie, and at being at war with myself –one side of me liked Derrick in ways that I shouldn't, and the other hated him with a passion greater than ever.

"That idiot…telling me he likes me," I muttered, shaking my head. "Thanks to his foolishness, now I'm stuck here with a crush on my sister's fiancé. What? No, I do not have a crush on him…get a grip, Kristen!"

I began to bang my head against the windowsill, feeling like such a lunatic for fighting with myself. But you know what's the worst feeling of all? The guilt I feel for debating over the fact of liking or not liking Derrick. The real idiot in here isn't him –it's me. Massie trusts me with her _life_, how could I be having these kind of thoughts?

I know I have to tell her sooner or later if I want to stop feeling guilty. And it's not just the kiss that's got me so worried. It's what Derrick told me afterwards that's got me shaken up. How can I tell her that her future husband might have a crush on her sister? Is it even right to tell her that?

"Why did you have to say that, Derrick?" I lamented, punching my pillow. "Why were you so stupid? I am about to be your-"

"Help! Help! Somebody, _help_!"

I stopped, my fist mid-air.

All of a sudden, I heard a clatter of pans in the kitchen. I stood up, dropping the pillow as I ran downstairs.

Beside the fact that Josh would never scream for help if it weren't something serious, Todd's with him. Yeah, apparently Josh offered to babysit Todd. Don't ask me why…my guess is that they found common ground on old detective movies. That prediction is backed up by the fact that Todd brought a stack of DVDs when he arrived today.

"HELP!"

Just before entering, I grabbed a wooden vase from a table. Exhaling, I pushed the doors to the kitchen open…just to find Josh running around in circles while Todd stood there, swinging a pan in the air.

I sighed, annoyed. "Guys, what's going on?"

"Kristen! Thank God you're here," Josh said, running to hide behind me.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I quickly ducked before Todd hit me with his pan.

"Sorry, Kristen. I was trying to hit the bee!" Todd apologized.

"Bee?" Oh…now I get it. Josh is terrified of bees. I don't know why, I don't know how his fear began…I just know that once he began to run around in the premiere of one of his movies because of a bee. Everybody loved it, though. They thought it was "adorable".

"Oh, Josh," I sighed. I was about to grab something to kill the bee, when it buzzed past me. I screeched, nearly falling on top of Josh.

Todd tried to hit it once more, nearly hitting me instead.

"Sorry again!"

Josh tried to run toward the door, but the bee flew in front of him. He grabbed a magazine and, after rolling it up, attempted to hit the bee.

All of a sudden the doors opened. Someone held up a box and somehow lured the bee into flying inside. After the person trapped the bee, we all looked up to see who our savior was.

Want to guess?

If you guessed Derrick, then…_Ding! Ding! Ding!_ We have a winner.

Derrick smirked. "Geez, it's just a bee."

I stood frozen in place. When Derrick's gaze met mine, his smirk disappeared. I gulped, trying to look away, but I couldn't. After a few seconds, Derrick cleared his throat and I managed to turn away, my cheeks red. Josh was eyeing me suspiciously now, but Todd seemed oblivious to every thing.

"I-I'll see you guys later," I told them, before walking past Derrick and up to my room. I quickly opened the door to the attic and climbed up. Once I was safe near the window, I sighed, looking down to my hands.

The only way I could talk to Massie about what happened was if I talked to Derrick first. Now…how would I do that if I couldn't even look at him?

I leaned my forehead against the window, ignoring how cold the glass was. I had no idea what I was going to do now, and there was only a week and a half left for the wedding.

"I'm such a coward," I told myself, remembering how stunned I was back in the kitchen after seeing Derrick.

I opened a random box, trying to forget Derrick. The first thing I saw, though, was a picture of Massie and I in Disneyland. We were both laughing at the camera, Massie's face glowing with happiness. A small smile spread in my face as I remembered the day we took that picture.

For our entire lives, Massie and I have been slowly building a bond solely made of trust for each other. And I'm sitting up here ruining it by liking Derrick's kisses way more that a sister-in-law should.

Yes, I admit it. Even though I hate and shouldn't be saying this, I _liked _kissing Derrick. I can't help but remember the feeling of his lips on mine, or his thumb brushing my cheeks…I can't help but like the memories, either.

I looked at the picture of Massie and I once more, guilt overpowering every other feeling I felt in that instant.

Normally, in high school, I was always the girl who was able to solve problems. Not just from school, but from people who came up to me for advice. While Derrick was known as the smartest and most popular boy, I was known as the girl who would listen and solve problems.

Sadly, this time I can't find a way out of this mess.

I heard a faint giggle, which made me look out the window.

It was Massie…and Derrick.

They were sitting on the snow, talking to each other. Every now and then, Derrick would kiss Massie's hand or cheek, making her giggle and blush. They looked very much in love…like they should.

All of a sudden, Derrick threw a snowball at Massie. Massie swiftly avoided it, gasping loudly.

"You did not just do that!" she exclaimed.

Derrick shrugged, slowly standing up.

Massie began to furiously throw clumps of snow at Derrick, who just laughed as he got hit. They were both glowing with happiness, smiling with glee.

After a while, Massie walked up to him, lying down next to him.

"I love you, Derrick."

Derrick smiled, wrapping his arms around Massie. "I love you, too, Mass."

I looked down, flinching. Derrick's words repeated in my mind, _I think I still like you_.

It shouldn't matter to me so much. They were about to be married, after all. I looked up once more, just to see Derrick leaning down, kissing Massie softly.

I turning away, feeling a knot in my throat. I blinked back tears and rushed out of the attic.

I know I shouldn't be mad.

I know I shouldn't be crying.

And I know I shouldn't be wishing that it was me instead of Massie.

But I was.

I tried to feel the guilt and hatred I felt toward Derrick earlier, but I couldn't. I just wanted to curl in a ball and cry.

I dejectedly walked down the stairs, just to find Todd sitting down on the floor.

"Todd?" I sniffed, sitting next to him.

Todd smiled. "Hi…Kristen, are you crying?"

I chuckled. "Don't mind it. I'm just complicated."

Which is true.

Todd shrugged. "I think that you're okay just the way you are."

I smiled sadly, ruffling his red hair.

"And I think you're really adorable."

Todd blushed, before sighing and looking down.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

"Love," Todd murmured.

I sighed, slumping my shoulders. "Tell me about it."

"It's just that…I now like this really amazing girl, who I just found out my new best fried likes."

I nodded, patting his shoulders. "I think I know how you feel."

Todd shook his head. "Love sucks."

"Love shouldn't exist," I agreed, looking down as I remembered Derrick.

"What are you two sulking about?"

We looked up to find Josh holding a bowl of popcorn.

"The existence of love," Todd muttered, stomping toward the living room.

Josh turned to look at me, an amused smile on his face. I laughed softly as a tear slid down my cheek.

Josh's smile vanished once he saw my face. He kneeled down in front of me and wiped the tears away. He sighed. "Forget whatever's got you sad...we're having a movie marathon, after all. And I don't want you moping around."

He held up his hand and I took it, trying to smile before following him to the couch. Todd had already placed the movie we were going to watch and dimmed the lights.

"Hurry, you guys. It's about to start!" Todd urged us.

I tried to pay attention to the movie, but every now and then, Derrick's face popped up in my mind. How could he admit to liking me when he was in love with Massie? I shook my head, burying my face in my hands. A bunch of movies went by, and I still couldn't forget about that stupid Derrick. That idiot…

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up to find Josh's concerned face. I nodded silently without looking at him in the eye.

"You know, you can tell me anything."

I shrugged, shaking my head. "There's nothing to tell."

"Oh really? How about telling me what's up with you and Derrick?"

I glanced at Todd, who was now asleep. Sighing, I lied, "Nothing."

Josh nodded. "Then what was that in the kitchen all about?"

I shook my head, looking away. "Seriously, nothing's going on."

I felt Josh place his arms around my shoulders, his hand rubbing my arm. "Your sister's about to get married…I'm sure she would hate it if she had been the one who found you crying in the staircase."

"I-I…"

Josh tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's okay. If you don't want to explain, then don't. Just remember that I'm always here for you, Kris."

I smiled truthfully for what seemed like the first time in days. I looked up at him. "You really are awesome."

Josh looked me into the eyes. Tonight, his hazel eyes were nice to look at –especially because they reflected happiness and comfort. As I stared at him longer, for some reason, I felt my cheeks turn red. Confused, I looked away.

After a while, Josh sighed.

What he said next really caught me off guard.

"I love you, Kristen."

Startled, I turned to look at him. What in the world had he just said? It couldn't be possible...

"You...you l-love me?" I asked, my eyes wide. After a while, I chuckled. "Oh…I get it. You love me in the way that best friends do."

Josh remained silent.

"I love you too, Josh," I said, as I leaned my head on his chest. "Now, good night."

I closed my eyes, ready to doze off. Before I was completely asleep, though, I felt Josh kiss my head.

"I didn't mean it in that way, Kris," Josh whispered.

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><p><strong>an:** Uh...hello.

It's been a while *giggles nervously*.

Alright, I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time! I've just been really really busy. Hopefully, you guys understand...anyways. I know there's no flashback in this chapter, but I couldn't think of one that went well with the situation. And I know this might be a pretty uneventful chapter, but I wrote it just to hint some future events in the story :)

**rvp721:** yeah, I'm sorry about that. I only noticed it until you mentioned it! PM's are enabled now, though.

Review telling me what you think! And if you've got any tips to share, they're gladly welcome :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Derrick Saves the Day…Sort of.**

"Don't wait for your Prince Charming. He's too lazy to leave the castle. Wait for your knight in shining armor, who will fight for you."

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><p>Kristen Gregory loved her Persian cat, Fluffy. She really did. But when he escaped every Saturday night that Kristen was homework-free, she wished that the cat would just die of old age already.<p>

"Fluffy…come out wherever you are, you selfish old cat," Kristen spat, not even bothering to look around. That cat had already gotten lost several times and always ended up rummaging through her school's trash. So to school she was going.

_This was not the way I planned to spend the night,_ Kristen thought bitterly, kicking a pebble on the dull street. No, that certainly wasn't the way it was supposed to turn out.

Kristen had fervently worked her butt off trying to finish her homework in time so she would have her weekend free. She had gone all out this Saturday –rented a bunch of movies, bought two boxes of mini Hershey's and a new, soft pillow. Too bad she couldn't enjoy any of those thanks to Fluffy.

Once Kristen spotted the dull, grey walls of her school's back, she glared. If looks could kill, the school would've already burned to ashes. A warning of what was coming for Fluffy. Wrapping her sweater tighter around her, she jogged toward one of the trashcans.

"Fluffy?" she asked, gingerly picking up the lid. After she didn't spot her cat's white fur, she closed it once again.

_Crunch._

Kristen turned around quickly, inspecting the streets behind her. She could've sworn she heard someone stepping on a dry leaf. After a few seconds of looking, Kristen decided to turn around and resume her search.

When she spotted a tall shadow looming behind her.

Gulping, she swiftly swiveled around on one foot, frowning. "Okay…w-who's there?"

No answer.

"Seriously, _who's there_?"

Still, no answer.

Kristen turned back around, feeling slightly uneasy. Last night, she'd seen a marathon of Law and Order –something she was repenting of now.

"Come on, Fluff…you pretty kitty," Kristen urged, trying to keep her tone calm. "Mom made some chicken, and there are some leftovers. I'll give you all I can find if you come out right now."

Kristen could already feel the presence of someone behind her.

"Please, come out."

Suddenly, a large hand was placed in her shoulder. Gasping loudly, she jumped around just to stare into the cold grey eyes of a teenage boy. Holding back a shriek, Kristen took a step back.

"My, my, Kristen. Look at how you've grown," a tall red head said, inspecting her. Two other guys appeared behind him –one was short and chubby, the other one was holding Fluffy.

"Looking for this?" the short guy asked, motioning at the cat.

Suddenly, Kristen recognized two of the guys. The red head was Eli Jensen, and the one holding Fluffy was Griffin Hastings. Both had been sophomores when Kristen was a freshman –and both had been expelled for violent behavior.

"Give me that!" Kristen ordered, trying to snatch away Fluffy. She was surprised at how strong her voice had come out.

Griffin held the cat up higher.

"Hey, hey," Eli said, holding up his hands in a "calming" way. "We found it for you. Shouldn't we get paid?"

"What?" Kristen exclaimed. "Of course not!"

A shady smile appeared in Eli's face as the trio began to corner Kristen into a wall. Gulping, she took of her wallet.

"O-okay, how much do you want?" Kristen asked, shakily rummaging through her money.

Griffin laughed sarcastically. "That's not the type of payment we're talking about."

As Eli placed his hand on her shoulder, Kristen positioned herself in a fighting stance, ready to land a punch on his face. Before she could do anything, a voice interrupted her.

"Don't mess with other people's girlfriends."

To the trio's dismay –and Kristen's relief –it was Derrick, who had a threatening expression on his face.

Eli smirked. "You and Gregory? Seriously? Well, maybe I did see it coming-"

"Give her back the cat and leave," Derrick cut in, his menacing tone increasing.

Griffin scoffed and handed Fluffy back to Kristen, before stomping away.

"Go on…leave," Derrick repeated.

Eli took a step closer. "Remember why I was expelled?"

"Yes, I do. But I don't care," Derrick replied, his eyes narrowing.

The guys stared for a few more seconds, before Eli motioned to the other guy before they both left.

After Kristen made sure they were out of sight, she sighed with relief. Looking up at Derrick, she slightly curved her lip upward. "I…I…what are you doing here?"

Derrick frowned, chuckling. "What?"

"What are you doing here, in school, at this hour?" Kristen repeated, trying to sound annoyed.

Derrick rolled his eyes. "You know, I was expecting something along the lines of 'thanks'."

Instead of snapping a reply, Kristen remained silent. It was true, he did at least deserve a "thank-you". If it weren't for him…Kristen didn't even want to think of what could've happen.

So, trying to let go of her pride, she muttered. "Thanks."

A grin was already making its way to Derrick's lips. "What?"

Exhaling, she glared. "THANKS!"

"That's more like it," Derrick replied, chuckling. "Wow…Kristen Gregory is thanking _me_."

Raising an eyebrow, Kristen made her way past him. "See you tomorrow, Derrington."

"Whoa, Blockhead." Derrick stopped Kristen before she could leave. "After what happened, don't you think it'd be better if I took you home?"

Kristen stared blankly at him before snorting and walking away. Until she felt Derrick's hand intertwine with her free one. She stopped immediately, a blush forming in her cheeks.

"Come on," Derrick murmured, pulling her behind him.

After a while, Kristen stopped resisting and walked in pace next to him. For a while, they were silent. Until Kristen spoke up.

"Derrick?"

"M-hmm?"

Sighing, Kristen lifted a shoulder. "Really…thanks for saving me."

"You're welcome, Kristen."

"But I'm not your girlfriend."

Derrick just laughed. They didn't stop holding hands, though.

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"Where are you going?" Josh asked as he saw me run toward the door.

"Massie wants me to help her choose her dress, so goodbye," I replied in a hurry, ready to run out of the door. I had promised Massie to be at Rosenbloom's Boutique fifteen minutes ago –and Massie hated unpunctuality.

"Wait!"

Turning around, I tilted my head. "Whatever it is, please make it quick."

Josh nodded, and, after holding up his hand, disappeared into the study room. After a few seconds, he came back out, holding up a gift.

"This," he said. "It's for you."

I smiled, frowning. "Why are you giving this to me?"

Josh's eyes widened in disbelief. "Because it's Christmas, Kris!"

My smile grew as I took and inspected it. "Thanks…but Christmas isn't until a week."

"Just in case I'm not here because of, you know, the movie thing," Josh replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He seemed nervous about something, but I decided not to question it.

I was about to open it, when he stopped me.

"Not until Christmas," he answered quickly, seemingly getting even tenser.

I nodded, confused. "Okay."

"Promise me not to open it until it's Christmas?"

I chuckled. "I promise. What's wrong, Josh?"

Josh sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "This gift…it's really, _really_ important."

"Your gifts are always important to me, Josh."

Josh gave me his signature smirk. "I know I'm the most important person in your life…you _did _profess your love for me last night."

Turning red, I chuckled as I punched his shoulder. "Shut up!"

"But this gift will probably be the most important I'll ever give to you," Josh explained, turning serious once again.

I nodded, placing the gift on a shelf behind me. "I'll make sure to take care of it."

We gazed at each other for a while, suddenly at loss of words. I guess last night might've changed a few things.

"I-"

"Well-"

Josh chuckled as I smiled.

"I gotta go," I told him, grabbing my coat.

"Yeah…we don't want Massie killing you."

"That's right."

"Yup…"

Grinning once more, I waved and quickly left the house.

Well…it wasn't _that_ awkward.

I was still thinking about Josh's "gift mystery" when I spotted a green pick-up truck. Gasping, I lowered my head and stopped near a tree. For a normal person, it might've been any other automobile, driving around town. But for me, it's the car of doom. Kori Geddman and Danny Robins –paparazzi/my stalkers –drove that car.

After making sure that they were out of sight, I resumed my driving. Guess I'll have to be more careful from now on.

"Ugh, why?" I exhaled, shaking my head. Isn't Derrick enough already?

I finally arrived to the boutique, and I quickly ran inside. Mrs. Hotz and Claire were sitting on a table, chatting about who-knows-what.

"Sorry I'm late," I apologized, grimacing. After taking off my coat, I looked around. "Where's Mass?"

Claire flinched and Mrs. Hotz shook her head. "Just…follow us."

I quickly walked behind them, smiling at Claire, who took a step back to walk next to me.

"So…I heard you and Josh got together yesterday?" she whispered, smiling.

"_What?"_ I shrieked.

Mrs. Hotz glanced at us suspiciously, a very Josh-y smile forming in her lips –as if she knew what we were talking about. Once she stopped looking, I turned to look at Claire.

"What?" I whisper-hissed.

"Massie and Derrick walked in on you last night. According to Massie, you two were cuddling together. Josh told them that you begged him to marry you," Claire continued, giggling.

"I did not beg him to marry me," I justified, shaking my head as I felt my cheeks warm up. "Josh's crazy…and, yes, we did 'cuddle' or…well, we didn't! We just…I…ugh. Nothing's going on between Josh and I, Claire."

Claire nodded knowingly, still giggling. I couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Claire and I had gotten closer since the wedding rehearsals.

"Excuse me."

I turned around to find the shop's cashier holding up a pen and paper.

"I'm a huge fan of yours," she continued.

Smiling humbly, I signed the paper and thanked her.

"How does it feel to sign autographs?" Claire asked as we entered another room.

I tilted my head. "You get used to it."

Once I spotted where I was standing, my eyes widened. "Massie?"

My sister looked up at me, her amber eyes wide. She was sitting in the middle of the room, a large amount of wedding dresses surrounding her.

"They are all gorgeous!" she exclaimed, caressing the one in her lap.

I turned to look at Mrs. Hotz, who just chuckled. "She turned crazy when we began to show her the dresses."

I nodded. Massie was a perfectionist, this was expected. "Alrighty, then. Massie, how about you model each dress for us."

Massie's mouth dropped open. "Each dress? There are like one hundred in here!"

"We know, sweetie," Mrs. Hotz told her.

"Which is why you should start now," Claire said, sitting down on a chair.

And that's when the familiar feeling of guilt returned. Just standing there watching Massie try on wedding dresses, all cheerful and excited made me want to dig a hole and never come out of it.

This was truly all my fault. I should've stopped Derrick from kissing me, and I should've stopped those thoughts that were dominating my mind the last few days. How am I supposed to be the maid of honor when I'm kissing the groom?

Maybe I was better off wanting Derrick dead.

It's decided, then; as hard as it may be, the only way to stop feeling guilty is to tell Massie and apologize profusely. Hopefully…she'll understand.

"Thinking about Josh?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked up. "Huh?"

Massie smiled. "You're obviously in love."

I glared at her when I realized that we were the only ones left in the room.

Now or never.

Massie was inspecting her choice –a beautiful embroidered dress that made her look like a stylish angel (/759dsuw).

"I'm glad you chose that one," I told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You recommended it, and you have great taste…so this beautiful dress it is," Massie replied, checking her reflection. "I can't believe I'm getting married!"

I smiled as she began to giggle. Would she ever laugh around me after I tell her everything?

"Mass…"

"Yes?"

"I've got to tell you something," I told her, playing with my fingers. I bit my lower lips, sighing. Well, here it goes. "I…I-"

"Hold it," Massie cut in, as she turned around to face me. "I just want to thank you."

"Uh.." I looked around, not knowing what to say. "You're welcome?"

Massie began giggling, so I awkwardly giggled along. This was not the way I planned it to go…

"Let me explain why I think you're the best sister in the world."

My smile faltered. Best sister? _In the world_?

"You made space in your busy schedule to attend my wedding, you helped me get one of the most famous wedding planners in the whole country to plan _my_ wedding, you've helped me with so many decisions…and you've always been there for me. And I'm not only talking about right now, I'm talking about always. So…thanks, Kris. You truly are the best."

I remained silent for a while, pondering what I should do next. Should I tell her about Derrick, or should I leave it for later?

Well, this is supposed to be a heartfelt moment, so I should leave the bad news for later…

I smiled. "You're the best sister in the world too, Mass."

"Aww," Massie replied, her amber eyes brimming with tears. "Come here, give me a hug."

I managed to smile and embrace her tightly, but I felt as if I was stabbing her in the back.

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I wrapped my coat tighter around me as a gust of sharp wind swooshed past me. Instead of returning to my cozy and warm home, I decided to take a walk down town. I needed to think, and I felt as if someone would read my mind if I did it at home.

It was decided. I was going to tell Massie, it was the only way I could make my mistake less severe. The problem was, I didn't know how to tell her –especially after what she told me today. She'd probably kick me out of home, turn everybody against me and reveal this to the tabloids. If Massie was feeling nice, she'd just stop talking to me forever.

I was so concentrated on my thoughts, that I didn't see the green pick-up truck stop next to me.

I didn't see the group of paparazzi following me.

It wasn't until I saw the first flash of light that I knew I was doomed.

_Snap!_

"Kristen, tell us more about the Kronner breakup!"

_Snap! Snap!_

"Are you and Josh dating now?"

_Snap! Snap!_

"What's your sister's name?

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_

I tried to find a way out, but the photographers were everywhere. I began to take a step backwards as they cornered me to the wall, asking questions and snapping pictures.

_Broom!_

I looked to my right to see a motorcycle making its way through the paparazzi. Once it stopped right in front of me, I recognized the driver.

"Derrick?" I asked, squinting my eyes as I tried to shade my face from the flashing lights.

He held out a white helmet. "Put this on, I'll give you a ride!"

My mouth dropped wide open. "It's _snowing_, the roads are slippery!"

"Is he your new boyfriend?" Kori asked as Danny snapped a picture.

"Was he the reason you and Conner broke up?" Danny asked, a smirk forming in his face.

I quickly grabbed the helmet and hopped on the motorcycle, wrapping my arms around Derrick tightly. I did _not_ want to die that night. At least not before coming clean to Massie.

Derrick started up the motorcycle, and I felt him zoom forward. Every turn he made felt as if I was being yanked off the darned motorcycle. I held tighter for my dear life, not doubting that my nails were probably digging in Derrick's skin. I did not care –I just didn't want to die.

Finally, it came to a stop. Trembling, I unwrapped my arms and handed the helmet to Derrick, dizzily walking on firm ground.

"Thank you, God," I muttered, once my feet felt the park's snowed floor.

Then I remembered that Derrick and I were no more than 60 cm. apart. Slowly, I turned around. He was adjusting something in his motorcycle. Swallowing my pride and fear, I walked over to him.

He looked up, slightly smiling.

"T-thanks," I said, mentally kicking myself for stammering.

He quickly looked away and answered quietly, "No problem."

We remained there in awkward silence, until I finally collected the courage to be the first to speak.

"We need to talk."

It wasn't until a few seconds later that I realized we had both said it.

"Oh," we continued in unison. We both chuckled, and then we said, "It's about the kiss issue."

I nodded, looking down. "What else is there to speak of?"

Derrick rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

"Well," I began, mustering up the courage. I had my speech for Massie planned, but I never really thought I'd ever speak to Derrick again. "I've been thinking about it…"

"Me too."

"And I think we should tell Massie about it-"

"I've come to the conclusion that I'm in love with you."

I immediately stopped after realizing what Derrick had told me.

"What?" I shrieked.

Derrick turned red, stress reflecting in his hazel eyes. "I…Uh…"

"You're supposed to be in love with Massie, not _me!_" I continued, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"But that's not the way it is-"

"But it is supposed to be that way," I interrupted him, getting closer. "You can't just make my sister fall in love with you and then sit up here, saying that you're in love with _me_! The wedding's in a week, and we can't afford-"

"Tell me you didn't enjoy the kiss."

I remained quiet, my mouth parted open. I should've lied and said 'no', but for some reason, my brain couldn't function.

Derrick nodded. "See? You can't deny it because you know it's true."

I glared. "You're an idiot…a jerk, how can you possibly-"

And then he kissed me.

A bad thing and a good thing happened that night: the good thing, I escaped the paparazzi without a scratch; the bad thing, I enjoyed the kiss and didn't pull away.

* * *

><p><strong>an:** Hopefully, you guys remember me...LOL Sorry for the long update time! I haven't had enough time recently with the loads of homework my teachers just _love_ assigning.

So, I know you might hate Kristen. I'm pretty sure that if this was real, I'd hate her too. Homewreckers aren't really my favorite people in the world...but don't jump to conclusions yet. There are still a few chapters left. But still, you can review telling me how much you hate her, or how much you hate Derrick...or you can also suggest a future event :)

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: One Complicated Fairytale**

"Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused." –Paulo Coelho

* * *

><p>Never in my life did I ever come to the conclusion that I'd be sitting inside Derrick's apartment, sharing old high school memories as if we'd always been on good terms. Then again, I'd never thought I'd be dating Derrick behind my sister's back. Yup…we've been dating for three days now. Thanks to the paparazzi, though, those dates consist of watching old movies in his apartment.<p>

"I still remember that time you didn't bring your permission pass for our school field trip and you had to stay behind. I pretended not having one either to keep you company," Derrick told me, a spark in his warm eyes.

I smiled. "Yeah…we were such nerds that we kept fighting over which Ancient Greek city was better –Athens or Sparta. I don't know why you kept insisting on Sparta, though."

"Because in those times, strength was better than brains."

"Well, if you didn't have brains, then how would you come up with a good war strategy?

Derrick chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Of course I have," I replied.

Derrick lifted his eyebrows in a questioning matter.

I hesitated. "Well…I'm not as competitive as I was before."

Derrick pressed his lips together, fighting back the smile that was forming in them. "I still have my doubts on that."

"You shouldn't," I insisted, smiling back.

Derrick gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Don't worry, as competitive as you are, I'll still be with you. Remember, even though you made your hatred toward me more than obvious back in high school, I still liked you. And I don't think that will change."

I looked down, smiling. After a while, I looked up, my eyes reflecting nothing but playfulness. "I still think Athens is and will always be better than Sparta."

Derrick laughed, softly pushing me away. My smile grew as I watched him laugh.

"Anyways, I was thinking you and I should give the park a visit tonight," Derrick announced as he stood up to stretch.

My smile disappeared. "Someone could see us."

Derrick looked down at me, grabbing my hand. "No one wanders the park at night…especially when it's snowed in."

I remembered the paparazzi chasing Derrick's motorcycle that night. The snow certainly didn't stop them. "Maybe"

"Come on!" Derrick protested, plopping down next to me. "When will be able to do it?"

I looked into his pleading eyes. "Give me some time to think, okay?"

In that moment, _The Man Who Can't Be Moved _by The Script filled the room. Derrick took out his phone, and I realized it was his ringtone.

"Good choice," I told him, before heading over the table to grab some popcorn Derrick had made for me earlier.

"Oh, hey Mass," I heard Derrick answer as he glanced at me quickly.

I stood frozen in place, my good mood vanishing completely. Now, every time someone mentioned my sister, this happened. But instead of feeling guilty, another feeling was always present –a mixture of anxiousness and jealousy. Instead of eating my heart out by guilt, I felt like clawing Massie's eyes out for being able to call Derrick hers. Deep down, I know what I'm doing is wrong. But I just can't help it.

"Don't worry, I'll pick up Kristen on the way," Derrick informed Massie on the phone. "I'll see you then."

I gave him a questioning look, which he responded with a _wait-a-second_ glance.

"Yeah, take care. Me too."

More jealousy began to bubble inside me. I was sure that that 'me too' was a response for an 'I love you'.

"Massie needs help with the flower bouquets," Derrick explained, ending the phone call. "She says she'll be waiting for us in _Adele's Garden_."

I nodded in understandment. "Massie has always wanted to choose her wedding bouquets from there. She says they've got the best selection of flowers."

Derrick looked down, uncomfortably.

After a while of hesitation, I opened my mouth to speak. "When are we telling her?"

"Huh?" Derrick suddenly looked up.

I fiddled with my fingers. "You know we've got to tell her someday about…about us."

"We'll tell her soon, I promise," he assured, taking a step closer to me.

I shook my head. "You're getting married in two days…we can't wait any longer."

"I know." Derrick sighed. "We'll tell her, okay? Just…not now."

I remained silent. After a while, I grabbed my stuff and began to head over to the door.

"We should get going."

"Yeah."

Derrick hurried next to me, and placed his hand on my back. "Everything is going to be okay, Kris."

I couldn't help but smile. I liked it when he called me by my nickname. "I hope so."

Derrick pulled me closer, giving me a brief side hug before heading outside. I was greeted by the sharp, cold air, which instantly made me shiver.

"I told you that that sweater wouldn't be enough for the afternoon cold," Derrick said, an amused smile edging in his lips.

"Who says I'm cold?" I lied, trying hard not to rub my arms for warmth.

"Your face," Derrick replied, taking off his jacket.

"You don't need to do that," I said, stopping him.

"If I don't want you dying of hypothermia, then yes I do."

Derrick placed the jacket around my shoulders, smiling down at me. I smiled back, tightening the jacket closer around me.

"Thanks."

"Anything for you," Derrick replied. Then he added playfully, "My love."

I slapped his arm softly, feeling my cheeks turn red. I guess he still remembers when, after reading Pride and Prejudice, I'd told Claire that, even though I hate it when guys call you 'babe' and stuff like that, I would tolerate 'my love'. Derrick overheard us and didn't stop rubbing it in my face for nearly half the year.

The ride to the flower shop was pretty uneventful, except for Derrick confessing that he still slept with a teddy bear until seventh grade.

"You're finally here!" Massie exclaimed once Derrick parked in front of the shop. She ran toward the car, greeting Derrick with a kiss on the cheek…which made me burn inside. "Where's your jacket?"

"Your sister stole it," Derrick replied, closing the car's door.

_No, _you_ gave it to me,_ I wanted to correct. I fake smiled. "Sorry, but all I had on was this sweater."

Massie rolled her eyes. "I've told you a million times that you should stop wearing that sweater in winter. The weather will end up murdering you. Now, come in, I've already got some bouquets chosen."

I followed Massie inside, ignoring Derrick's gaze. I wasn't in the mood for his apologetic looks. Once inside, there were eight flower sets –four choices for the bridesmaids and four for the bride.

"There's two days left and you still haven't chosen them?" I said, taking off Derrick's jacket.

"Sorry, but the cake and table centers are really important," Massie justified. "Now, I think that calla lilies would be perfect for the whole winter theme. And I saw this picture on the Internet consisting of those and frost covered pinecones, which looked gorgeous and so elegant. But then I saw one of white peruvian lilies with red hypericum berries and I just loved…"

As Massie kept droning on about types of flowers (her favorite subject) and color schemes, my gaze shifted over to Derrick, who looked extremely focused on what Massie was explaining. Even though he promised me he'd tell Massie about us soon, he did look serious about the wedding. And maybe he truly was.

I looked down, examining Derrick's jackets in my hands. The wedding would be soon. Derrick and Massie would be pronounced husband and wife in a bond that could only be broken by death. Was Derrick seriously planning on telling her, or was I just a fling for him? Maybe I should stop this right now. But the horrible feeling that settled in my stomach after I thought that made me want to take back my words. How could I do dump Derrick? I bit my lower lip, wanting to crawl right back into my attic. Things always had to complicate themselves whenever they shouldn't.

"Kristen, are you listening?"

I snapped out of my thoughts, just to find Massie with two flower bouquets in her hands and a worried look on her face.

"Huh…oh…um, I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I asked.

Massie smiled playfully. "Thinking about Josh again?"

I tried to crack a smile and act natural at the same time. "What? Of course not."

Massie grinned. "Mhmm."

I quickly glanced at Derrick, whose eyes were now narrowed and his lips pressed together. Good. He was now feeling what I felt whenever Massie and him were together. But then again, Josh and I weren't getting married…for some reason, my cheeks flushed as I imagined Josh and I in a wedding reception as bride and groom. I quickly shook away those images and focused on Massie.

"I was asking if you'd be happy holding white anemones and blue lilies on my wedding day," Massie repeated, holding up a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

"Of course," I replied with a smile.

Massie smiled, glancing down at the flowers. "This is so amazing…everything's going perfect."

As Massie admired her flower choices with that happy look in her eyes, a tiny bite of guilt returned to haunt me. I was acting like the antagonist of a book. But one more glance at Derrick's radiant smile made me forget all about guilt and being the bad guy.

Well, not entirely.

Massie handed the bouquets to the worker. "Alright, guys. I want you two to head over to our house. We need to discuss the wedding rehearsal night. The rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen will be there, too. Oh, and Kristen?"

I looked up.

"I won't forgive you if you get sick for extreme exposure to cold, so put Derrick's jacket on," Massie informed me, laughing.

I cracked a smile, slowly putting on the jacket.

On the way home, Derrick and I barely exchanged any words. I was too busy thinking about my role on the book –whether I was the antagonist or the protagonist. I was leaning for a little bit of both.

"We're here."

I looked out the window and realized that we were parked in front of the front porch.

"Oh, good," I sighed, unbuckling my seatbelt.

Derrick placed a hand on my shoulder. "Kris…are you made at me?"

I looked at him, pursing my lips. "I…well, I'm more mad at myself than anything else."

"Why?"

I exhaled, not finding words to explain my inner dilemma. "Well…I'm not sure if I'm the evil witch standing on the way of Prince Charming and the princess getting their happily ever after."

Derrick looked at me, his gaze traveling across my face. "Kristen, I chose this too. I truly care about you…and that's been a fact for a long time now."

I didn't dare to look up. His words hadn't convinced me entirely.

Placing two fingers under my chin, he brushed his lips against mine. I kissed him back, placing my hand on top of his free one. Once he pulled away, I gave him a small smile, trying to forget any unsettling thoughts. He gladly returned it.

"I'll see you inside?" Derrick asked.

I nodded.

After he left, I remained on the car, thoughtful. It was obvious that what I was doing was wrong…but if Derrick and Massie called off the wedding and broke up, would it still be wrong? After giving it more thought, I stepped out of Derrick's car, pulling his jacket tighter around me.

And then I looked up.

Josh was standing there, his arms crossed across his chest and a frown on his face. His eyes gave off a mixture of shock, disappointment and anger. It couldn't be more obvious that he'd seen the kiss.

"Josh," I began, feeling the dread bubbling up inside me.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> It's been, like, three chapters in which I've apologized for updating late. And as annoying as it might get, I'll still do it.

I'm SO SO SO SO SO sorry.

I've been so busy with homework and extracurricular activities. You don't know how stressed out I've been. Plus, this is the time of the year when all of my friends have birthdays. But I promise I'll try to finish this story without any long waiting periods in between. I've already got half of chapter 8 written, so I think that by Wednesday or so I can update this.

If you didn't hate Kristen before, I'm sure that at least half of you want to rip her hair off. She's sort of bipolar right now...you know, feeling guilty but jealous at the same time. Remember, she's confused.

And, this is so out of context, but I just need to share right now: I just watched The Hunger Games...and for those of you who are huge fans of the series and just watched the movie, I'm pretty sure you're feeling the same as I am: excited, ready to marry Peeta (LOL) and completely mindblown. I admit it, I wasn't completely into The Hunger Games until the movie was announced (please don't kill me) but I LOVE it now! Too bad the idiots next to me didn't stop talking about some vacations they were going to :/

Sorry for the extremely long a/n, by the way :P Review telling me what you think! Once again, I promise to update as soon as I can.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: How to Lose Your Best Friend in Five Minutes**

"You never realize the importance of what you've got until it is gone forever."

* * *

><p>"First premieres are always like this," Aunt Kendra explained to her niece, Kristen. "Paparazzi always want to know who the new actress is, interviewers will want to get the first word from you –this gives them points at their jobs, especially if the actress becomes famous. And according to critics…you will."<p>

Kristen gulped as she caught a glimpse of the flashing lights. "I can't go out there."

"Why not?" her aunt asked, bewildered. "Actresses should like getting the attention. Their money comes from the publicity, after all."

Kristen didn't dare to look out the small office's window. Her aunt had requested that they parked the limousine in front of the cinema's office so Kristen could get a few pointers on how to act in a premiere. She didn't know who was going to give them to her, but as long as he or she told Kristen what to do, she would be satisfied. She didn't work too well when she had no idea what to do.

"Because…" Kristen let her voice trail out. The way she was looking out the window should've been enough to tell her aunt what Kristen feared. That people wouldn't like her –and therefore, wouldn't accept her.

Her aunt caught the message. "Kris, don't worry. You'll be fine. People say your acting is great and you look gorgeous tonight. Besides, I'm sure you'd really appreciate the person who's going to share some tips with you."

Kristen looked up, feeling more nervous than ever as she heard some paparazzi call out her name. "W-who's the person?"

Her aunt smiled playfully. "You'll see. But I can assure you, you'll be really glad. And you have to be thankful, too. We were surprised when he volunteered to help you out. His manager says he usually isn't so…welcoming with new people. According to the manager, though, he says he saw potential in you."

Kristen blinked. Judging by the way her aunt spoke about this person, he was probably important in the film industry. And that didn't calm her even for a bit.

"He's here!"

Her aunt grinned, as she gently pushed Kristen toward another room. There sat a dark-haired boy, his back facing her, wearing a suit. His legs were propped up on top of the table and it seemed as if he was giving orders to someone. Once Kristen stepped in, though, he stopped talking. As he swiveled his chair around, Kristen couldn't stop her jaw from dropping.

"We really appreciate what you're doing, Mr.-"

"Please," Josh cut in, taking off his sunglasses. "Call me Josh."

His gaze shifted toward Kristen, who was now smiling from ear to ear. He smirked. "I've heard a lot of good things about you. Primarily, that you're a big fan of mine."

For a while, Kristen was at loss of words. _The_ Josh Hotz was standing in front of her, looking hotter than ever. Never in her life did she imagine that he would be speaking to _her_. Much less advising her on what to do on the red carpet.

"Kristen," her aunt murmured, snapping Kristen out of her daze.

Kristen blushed, nodding. "Y-yeah. My sister and I-"

Kristen abruptly stopped, wondering if it would be unprofessional to profess your admiration to another actor.

Josh chuckled. "People think it's adorable when an actor tells another what a huge fan he or she is."

Kristen smiled. "Good…'cause I'm sure my sister would kill me if I didn't mention her to you."

Josh's smirk grew. "Well, let's go straight to the point. We don't have much time. So, the first thing you should know about red carpets: you can never stop smiling. You can grin, you can smirk or you can flash a shy smile. But if even the smallest hint of a smile isn't seen, paparazzi will instantly think that something has displeased you. The next thing you know, you're on the cover of People behind a headline full of lies."

Kristen nodded, trying to imagine the kind of lies that someone could make up of a new artist.

As if reading her mind, Josh added, "Trust me, they won't pity you because you're new."

Kristen took the advice in and paid close attention to the rest. She was used to explaining everything to people around her. Now she knew how it felt to need the help of others.

Once Josh finished, he glanced out the window. "Well, I think that's all. We should keep in contact, though."

Josh's team's eyes widened as they heard him say that. Josh wasn't so friendly with people, either.

"Come on, guys," Josh told them, motioning to the door. "Nice meeting you, Kristen...Kendra."

Aunt Kendra smiled and gave Josh a court nod. He began to walk toward the door. But before he was out completely, he turned around. He smiled at her –an honest one.

"You look really nice, by the way."

And before she could thank him, Josh was already out of the door.

"Miss Gregory, are you ready?" one of her representatives asked.

Kristen nodded, feeling more secure now with Josh's tips.

Her representative smiled as he opened the door. "Good luck and have fun."

Kristen smiled. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out, immediately greeted by a large amount of flashing lights. Even though he probably said that to everybody, she remembered Josh's compliment. Smiling, she felt slightly less insecure.

But she was wrong, which was rare for Kristen. But wasn't her mistake obvious? Josh didn't like admitting that someone else looked good, after all.

* * *

><p>"Josh," I said, feeling the dread bubble up inside me.<p>

Josh began to shake his head. "What's wrong with you?"

I looked down, not able to look into his brown eyes anymore.

"Your sister is about to get married with that _jerk_ and you're kissing him around?"

I bit my lower lip. "I…I'm-"

"I never thought you would be that kind of girl."

I felt the tears roll down my cheek. That hurt more than I thought it would.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, still not looking up.

"Yeah, yeah, stop it with your little dramatic act," Josh spat out, walking closer to me. "How could you do this? Massie really counted on you…your whole family did!"

I didn't know what to say. I was at loss of words. What _could_ I say anyways? I knew dating Derrick was wrong even before I began to do it. There were no words left. I screwed up –that's it.

"I know that what I did is wrong. But…but I can-"

"You can't help your feelings? I thought you were smarter to come up with a better excuse for what you're doing."

To my surprise, Josh's eyes were bright with tears of frustration. "You know, I really thought a lot of good things about you. From the moment when I first heard of you, I knew I wanted to be with you. You seemed honest, loyal and respectful…you were the kind of girl I'd always wanted to meet. And for a while you were, until today. Is this the real Kristen? A backstabbing girl who only cares about her feelings and her well-being?"

I remained silent. I knew some people thought that I'd do anything just to reach my goals and my well being, but I never believed them. Were they right?

Josh exhaled, running a hand through his brown hair. "I can't believe you, Kris."

The way he said my name just made me want to crawl in a hole and die alone. I'm sure he thinks the same.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say.

"Just, stop it," Josh muttered. "I'm glad I'm going to Florida."

"What?"

"I'm going to take that role, and it requires me to leave to Miami. I was going to go after the wedding but if staying involves having to see you…then I'm leaving as soon as I can."

"Josh," I began, fighting the tears in my eyes. "Massie would really-"

"Since when do you care about your sister?" Josh cut in, his face full of disgust. Little bits of snow began to fall, making him look up. Once again, he began shaking his head. "Don't even dare to call me once I'm gone. I'm done with you."

And with that, Josh turned around and quickly walked inside the house. I was left, dumbstruck, staring at the door where he had entered. The tears came out freely, now. And then it struck me. Josh wasn't kidding. He wasn't acting. He had seen the kiss and was disgusted with me. He had meant it when he'd said he didn't want to ever see me again.

I wiped away my tears. Just like I couldn't imagine myself leaving Derrick earlier, I couldn't imagine my life without Josh. It was funny. I'd always thought of Josh as my best friend in the whole world, but I had never appreciated him enough. There was always something or someone more important than him. He was always awarded second place from my part. And now, when I finally realize this, he's gone.

I began to walk away. There was no way I was entering that house after what Josh had told me. I'd just look for somewhere else to sleep.

As it began to snow harder, I began to cry harder. Everything that Josh had said was true. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was that Josh realized it. The guy who had always been there for me. And now, he was gone. And not with a good memory of me.

I looked down, wrapping my arms around me. _You never realize what you've got until it's gone. _Massie had said that to me in fifth grade after Ripple Baxter, a girl who always hung out with me, had left. I had never realized what a good friend she could've been (and wanted to be) until she told me she was moving to California. Of course, I was too busy trying to befriend the popular clique at that time to realize that there were better people out there to hang out with.

All of a sudden, I bumped into someone.

"Oh, gosh. I'm so –Kristen?"

I looked up, finding the voice familiar. A pair of sweet blue eyes and a worried frown greeted me. "Claire?"

"Are you okay?"

I remained silent for a while. I was dating my sister's fiancée, my best friend in the whole world had just abandoned me, and I had just realized that I was a selfish female dog.

"No," I answered, my voice husky thanks to the previous crying. "I think I'm going to move to Macronesia and change my name to Mallory."

"Mallory?"

"It means _unfortunate_."

Claire grimaced, wrapping an arm around me. "Alright, you really need some Starbucks."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Probably one of the shortest chapters that I've ever written, but I read somewhere that it isn't good to pile many events or ideas in one chapter. Oops, should've gotten the memo earlier...haha.

Anyways, I know that 0.01% of my readers might feel that Josh's words could've been a bit too harsh on Kristen. Might I remind you, that he's in love with her and just witnessed her kissing another man...who happens to be her sister's future husband. Besides, she deserves it.

Also, if you find Kristen a bit too Mary Sue-ish, PLEASE. I'm begging you, tell. Me. There is nothing that I hate more than a Mary Sue. But then again, a Mary Sue wouldn't be dating her sister's boyfriend. She would probably be the sister. But still, just tell me.

Thanks for reading! By the way, no offense to anyone named Mallory. I just needed a name with an unpleasant meaning, and that popped up on Yahoo! Answers.


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